Sales volumes grew in clothing by 41%, and in hardware and DIY by
55%.

But volumes fell markedly for grocers, by 29%.

They also fell in the specialist food and drink sector
by 34%, and the footwear and leather sector by 38%.

Overall, the volume of sales decreased. 30% of retailers
said that sales volumes were up in September on a year ago, while
38% said they were down, meaning a total balance of -8%.

That was below economists’ expectations of +5%. It was also
a decline on August's figure of +9%.

It is worth pointing out that the survey is relatively narrow in
its scope, as it interviews only 120 firms, of which 63 were
retailers. But,
as the Financial Times points out, its findings are in line
with other data, including John Lewis's weekly sales report and
two monthly sales monitors.

Rain Newton-Smith, CBI's chief economist, said: "September is
normally an important month for retailers and it’s encouraging to
see that sales of clothing, DIY goods and hardware are above
seasonal norms.

“However, consumer confidence has been dented since earlier in
2016 and higher inflation is likely to squeeze household incomes
over the year ahead. With margins remaining tight, retailers are
set to continue to operate in a fiercely competitive environment
for some time.”